The Dandelion
I am a firm believer that some weeds are simply unintentional flowers. One of my favorite flowering “weeds,” and also the bane of every proud lawn tender, is the ever-pervasive dandelion. As a girl, every time I would pick up the puffy white ball and purse my lips ready to blow, my mom would call across the grass—yes, she definitely had eyes in the back of her head—for me to stop. She knew that those seeds would fly away on the wind and many of them would land in the grass so that more dandelions would crop up, all of which I thought was a lovely idea! I found it almost completely irresistible to not make a wish and blow, watching the feather-like seeds scatter as they floated through the air. Although I didn’t dare test my mom’s wrath while in her view, I still managed to sneak in a few.
Nature itself is a never-ending source of inspiration for our own lives and the dandelion is no exception! Dandelions received their name from the French phrase, “dent de lion,” meaning “lion’s tooth” and refers to the serrated leaves of the plant. This amazing perennial “weed” (I prefer wild herb or plant!) is edible and packs a surprising amount of vitamins and minerals with additional anti-oxidative properties, as well as other compounds believed to manage blood pressure, control blood sugar, lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. You might find dandelion greens in a Spring lettuce mix—it has a somewhat bitter taste with a spicy kick, similar to arugula. But it’s not just the leaves that are edible. The flowers can also be eaten, brewed to make a tea or wine, or infused into oil or vinegar. The roots of dandelions are often utilized as a popular coffee alternative.
People often liken the stages of a dandelion to the sun—the flower, the moon—the puffball, and the stars—the scattering seeds. While dandelions need certain conditions for growth, including sunlight and water, it is an incredibly hardy plant and reproduces prolifically. While they originated in Eurasia, dandelions have spread to five of the seven continents. Their seeds have been known to live for five years buried in the soil, and nine months under water and will sprout and develop deep roots when the conditions are right. Those fastidious about their lawns will be frustrated trying to get rid of dandelions as new ones are waiting beneath the surface to replace those you have just pulled from the ground.
As Christians, I believe we are meant to be a lot like dandelions (whether or not you consider yourself to be on the wild side!). That seed of redemption is initially deposited within us and when that seed turns to faith in Jesus, it begins to root, growing deep in the soil as we obtain our nutrients from His Word, being in His presence, Church, etc. Eventually the root is deep enough so that the bright flower is revealed for others to see and enjoy. But that flower is utterly dependent on the light of the sun as it opens in the morning and shuts after the sun goes down. And so, as we mature with the light of the Son shining in and through us, the seeds appear, also known as the fruit of the dandelion. As the fruit of the Spirit develops within us, it can’t help but eventually spread, impacting other people and the world around us so that new seeds take flight like parachutes, landing and taking root as the cycle continues.
But the transformation doesn’t happen automatically—it requires the right conditions. It is incumbent upon us to put ourselves in the right position to be transformed so that others can be as well. In the midst of life and everything that comes with it, how can we set ourselves up to grow deep roots, flower, and fruit, producing and sowing good seed? After all, it is certainly on God’s heart and His goals for us, that we would be mature (Eph. 4:21-24).
This is one of the reasons God created worship! As we focus our gaze upward with thankful hearts, our thoughts begin to align with His. For that space of time, we are no longer distracted by the worries of our lives, and we gain new perspective with a view closer to His as we take our rightful position of being seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). As our perspective changes, our thoughts shift and we begin to be filled with the characteristics of the Holy Spirit in greater measure—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). This maturing within ourselves begins to seep into our actions, affecting others around us.
It is also in that place of worship aligned with Him that we can more easily see how to pray what’s in His will as our petitions and declarations become representative on earth as it is in heaven. Our faith rises and we can boldly proclaim what should be. As a result, our thinking, circumstances, and others around us are transformed. Yes, really!
I know. It sounds too easy. Don’t get me wrong— with five kids, a full-time job, ministry, etc., I fully understand the daily pressures and stresses of life. But God doesn’t mean for us to carry those alone! He wants us to join with Him and let Him carry the heavy part giving us rest in the process (Matt. 11:28-30). Certainly not an even exchange! But this rest with its accompanying peace is only realized when we’re walking by His Spirit. When we live that out by communing with Him in daily worship, we’re practicing rest and reliance on Him, and the fruit that reliance brings begins to spill over into our everyday lives and onto others.
But the truth is, whatever we sow we will reap—the nutrients we feed on will determine what kinds of seeds are produced. Tainted by the effects of a broken world, we may not feel like that fresh flower anymore. Faced with the comparison-game highlighted in social media and entertainment juxtaposed with the disappointments life brings, we may not even realize what has taken hold deep within. But the law of multiplication is not one we can avoid. As envy, discontentment, bitterness, and striving take root in our thoughts, those seeds also find a way to escape and we may soon find ourselves wading through a field of envy, discontentment, bitterness and striving.
We all know what happened with Hitler… he capitalized on those seeds of discontentment sown at the end of WWI and sowed plenty more leading to mass destruction and chaos, including the murder of 6 million Jews. We may not be Hitler, but our own seeds must multiply as well. Our seed pods usually contain a mixed bag but there’s no way to discriminate between which ones are released into the atmosphere.
And so, amid this broken and hurting world, we must take hold of the opportunity to set our eyes on Jesus. If we’re to live as reflections of Him, we grab onto the greatest privilege ever given to people and relate to the living God—our Father!—through the Spirit on a daily basis, exchanging our mess for His beauty. While the trials and comparisons will remain, our perspective of them shifts and we think and act differently toward them. Just as the dandelion we are transformed with our gaze to the Son and the seeds of His kingdom take flight to the farthest reaches of the world.
https://www.learnaboutnature.com/plants/flowers/dandelion-life-cycle/
https://www.reference.com/science-technology/stages-dandelion-a8e4166bc46aff08
